BMW Brake Inspection

BMW brakes are what make you stop. If you are experiencing a problem with your BMW brakes. It is important to contact Peak Auto in the Cary NC area right away to have your braking system inspected or a specific problem diagnosed.

A brake inspection is performed at Peak Auto in Apex NC as part of our standard 50 point vehicle inspection. During the brake inspection Peak Auto’s expert technicians measure the brake-pad thickness, check for any leaks, and on the test drive listen and feel for any noise or vibration when applying the brakes.

Brand new brake pads on your BMW have approximately 12 mm thickness of friction material. When brake pads are worn down to 4 mm it is time to start planning your brake service. During the life of your BMW brakes they should never squeal or make noises when in use.

On your BMW as well as all German vehicles the rotors are not designed to be turner or re-surfaced. They should be replaced with the brake pads. The rotors are made of a soft metal and are made to wear-out at the same rate as the brake-pads. At the end of the brake-pad life, a lip will be noticeable on the outer edge of the brake rotor. This edge allows the expert technician at Peak Auto or you, if you are interested, to see how much metal was rubber off.

During the life of the rotor you should not experience any braking vibration. If you experience a vibration in the steering wheel while braking, your front rotors have developed a “hot-spot” or are warped. If you feel a vibration in the driver seat then your rear brake rotors are probably the cause.

Diagnosing a brake problem can sometimes be difficult however, here are a few common brake symptoms and causes: While braking your BMW pulls to one side of the road. Typically caused by a frozen brake caliper on one side of the vehicle. This is typically caused by salted roads from up north and we do not usually see this issue much in the Cary NC area at Peak Auto. Grinding noise while braking could be caused by wearing your brake pads down so that there is no friction material and your are braking “metal to Metal” literally.

When you apply the brakes on your BMW the pedal is soft and you have to push it all the way to the floor or pump it to stop the car. This can be due to a leak or air in the braking system. It is important to find and fix the leaks and the perform a brake fluid flush with LV DOT 4 brake fluid.

All of these issues and any unusual braking situation can be extremely dangerous. It is important to have any Brake problem diagnosed by a trained professional. In the Cary NC are you can count on the experts at Peak Auto to diagnose and repair, any braking issues, correctly the first time.